The entire class gasped in shock.
Pairs of eyes widened as they turned to look at Lin Mo.
Gu Jingzhou nearly slid off his chair.
He knew Lin Mo was outstanding, but not this outstanding!
The only one unsurprised was Shen Ji'an.
Undoubtedly!
Lin Mo met the math teacher’s gaze and smiled. "Thank you, teacher."
The math teacher calmly averted her eyes.
But inwardly, she was beyond thrilled.
She should be the one thanking Lin Mo!
Before, she had always been overshadowed by the math teacher from Class Five.
This time, she finally had her moment of triumph!
"Everyone should learn from Lin Mo. Now, take back your answer sheets and see where you lost points!"
Shen Ji'an received his answer sheet but hesitated to look at his score.
Lin Mo snatched it over. "Wow, dude, you scored a 66! That’s wild!"
Hearing "66," Shen Ji'an exhaled in relief.
At least he wasn’t last.
When he was seven, he had been kidnapped and only returned at ten.
Yet here he was, a normal high school senior.
Back then, in the slums, he learned that attending school meant he could apply for living expenses.
So he bought textbooks and studied on his own.
At the start of the semester, he took the fifth-grade entrance exam, scored average, and got in.
Later, when the money from the scar-faced man ran out, the living expenses weren’t enough to support both him and Auntie Zhen.
So his focus shifted to making money.
But he wasn’t stupid.
After the first class ended, the math teacher left the classroom in high spirits.
A teacher from the neighboring class happened to walk out too and casually remarked, "It’s pretty hot today."
The math teacher patted her hair. "Huh? Oh, you already heard our class had a perfect score in math? Wow, news travels fast!"
The neighboring teacher: "..."
The exam rankings were posted on the school bulletin board during the long break.
Lin Mo was the first to sprint over.
Uncle Fang, patrolling the campus, blinked in surprise. "What just flew past me?"
Lin Mo dashed like lightning.
But when she arrived, others were already there—some classes were closer to the bulletin board.
"Holy crap, holy crap!"
Exclamations erupted nonstop.
Lin Mo squeezed to the front and scanned the rankings.
First place: Lin Mo, 723.
Second place: Xu Yan, 713.
Her eyes quickly darted to the bottom.
Shen Ji'an wasn’t last. He was third from the bottom.
A grin spread across Lin Mo’s face.
Everyone turned to stare at her, their breath catching.
She looked so beautiful when she smiled!
Wait—she was first place? And she beat Xu Yan by ten points?!
Who the heck said she was dumb before?!
Lin Mo turned and spotted Xu Yan.
She patted his shoulder and smirked. "Hey, guess why the moment I was born, Qin Shi Huang disappeared? Was it ‘kings avoid crossing paths’ or ‘he fled from my brilliance’?"
Then she skipped away, humming.
Watching Lin Mo’s joy, Xu Yan’s eyes darkened, a metallic taste rising in his throat.
Was she really that against going on a date with him?
And how? How could she score so high?!
A classmate gasped. "Xu Yan, you’re bleeding from your mouth! What happened?"
Xu Yan shook his head. "I’m fine."
Shen Jing had also rushed to check the rankings.
Her fists clenched, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
Lin Mo wasn’t human—she was a monster!
Look, she’d even made Xu Yan cough up blood!
Shen Jing approached. "Let me take you to the infirmary."
She and her father had been forced out of their mansion.
All because of Lin Mo!
Now that Xu Yan had been surpassed by Lin Mo, he must despise her too.
But Xu Yan didn’t even glance at Shen Jing, walking away alone.
His slender figure cast a long shadow under the sun.
Lin Mo’s score shocked the entire school—teachers and principal included.
The principal double-checked. "You’re sure Lin Mo scored over 700 and took first place?"
Director Wang replied, "Principal, I know Lin Mo’s score is pretty average this time, but you don’t need to confirm it so many times."
The principal’s jaw dropped. "Average?! You call this average?!"
Director Wang, a long-time faculty member, had once been Xie Guanyan’s homeroom teacher.
"Yeah, Lin Mo used to score 730+ regularly. This time, she’s down by over ten points. Back then, she got 730+ in the college entrance exam too—Xie Guanyan was one point behind her."
"Right, exactly. Xie Guanyan was my student. Lin Mo was taught by my wife."
The principal: "..."
Who asked for all that?!
Saturday evening, no study hall.
Lin Mo returned home early.
As soon as she entered, the butler handed her several packages. "Miss Lin, your deliveries."
Lin Mo hadn’t been big on online shopping before.
She figured buying too much would be a hassle to move later.
But now? This was her home.
She could buy as much as she wanted.
She set the packages by the sofa, not bothering to open them yet.
She had something more important to do.
Meanwhile, at SS Capital’s top-floor office.
Xie Guanyan was on a call, his gaze lowered.
"Boss, Miss Lin returned to the villa after school. She ranked first in the exam today and is in a great mood!"
Xie Guanyan wasn’t surprised.
The bodyguard continued, "After getting back, she’s been trying on clothes, running up and down, asking the butler and maids how she looks."
Darkness swirled in Xie Guanyan’s eyes, his fingertips pressing into the desk until they turned white.
"Understood. Follow her during the date tonight. No need to report the details."
The bodyguard gasped. "Miss Lin is going on a date with someone else?!"
Xie Guanyan hung up without answering.
Tears streamed down the bodyguard’s face as he grabbed his younger brother’s sleeve to wipe them. "Our boss is so pitiful!"
Younger brother: "..."
Xie Guanyan resumed work, joining a transnational video conference.
Attendees noticed something different about the boss today.
He was more focused than usual, listening intently while scribbling notes.
After the meeting, Xie Guanyan removed his glasses, massaging his temples.
His other hand pressed the intercom.
"Jin Yang, no one enters my office."
He hung up, then pressed a remote.
The automatic curtains closed, plunging the room into darkness.
The elegant, refined man clutched a golden puppy pendant, his fists pressed to his forehead.
It was unbearable. Unbearable to keep thinking about it.
"Drip, drip."
Something wet fell onto the notebook before him, smudging the densely written words:
[Shining, shining, shining, shining...]
Shining—Lin Mo—was wearing beautiful clothes right now. What was she eating with Xu Yan? What were they talking about?
A dull ache pulsed in his head, his heart throbbing as if about to explode.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
He couldn’t breathe, as if hands were strangling him.
Then, abruptly—
Bang! Bang!
The office door rattled.
Followed by a bright, cheerful voice:
"Xie Guanyan! Can I come in?"
